‘Fast and Furious 8’ to Begin Filming Next Month in…Cleveland?

Los Angeles. Brazil. London. Abu Dhabi. Cleveland. According to new reports, Fast and Furious 8 is set to begin filming next month and following in a long line of exotic and beautiful locales, the new installment will make its way to C-Town.

Before you get too excited (or disappointed), it appears that Cleveland will be filling in for New York City, where the bulk of the action is going to take place in the film. Cars both fast and furious will be zooming around the streets of Ohio, but sadly those streets will be transformed to the Big Apple by the time Fast and Furious 8 hits theaters.

It’s not the first time Cleveland has subbed in for New York City in the movies. Most of the Avengers exteriors were shot in Cleveland, and Spider-Man 3 shot the majority of its scenes in Cleveland as well.

After production in Cleveland wraps, director F. Gary Grey (Straight Outta Compton) will move to Atlanta, New York City and Cuba for the remainder of the shoot. The film’s returning cast includes Vin Diesel, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Tyrese, Ludacris and Michelle Rodriguez, but don’t expect to see any Brian O’Connor, whether by CGI or using one of his brothers as a stand-in. Charlize Theron was reportedly in talks to join Fast and Furious 8 as the film’s villain, but that has yet to be confirmed.

Producer Neal Moritz has said that Fast and Furious 8 will mark the start of a new trilogy of Fast and Furious films that will segue from heist movies to spy movies. How exactly Dom Toretto and crew, who don’t have a history of being subtle, become undercover spies is something that remains to be seen.